Power from SCE
Electrician in Moreno Valley: which utility serves your house
Moreno Valley has two electric utilities. Edison serves most of the city, and the city-owned Moreno Valley Utility serves the south and east. Rebates and rules change with the one on your bill.
Electric utility
SCE
Southern California Edison (most of the city) and Moreno Valley Utility (city-owned, southern and eastern parts)
Serves most of Moreno Valley. Utility site
Permit office
City of Moreno Valley Community Development Department, Building and Safety Division
951.413.3350 (inspection line 951.413.3380; [email protected]) · Permit page · Online portal
Permit fees in Moreno Valley
City of Moreno Valley Community Development Department, Building and Safety Division
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| New service or additional panel, 600V or less, not over 200 amps City of Moreno Valley FY 2026-27 Schedule of City Fees, Charges and Rates, revised 6-30-26. Over 200 amps: $74.00 plan check + $230.00 inspection. | $74.00 plan check + $155.00 inspection |
| Permit processing/filing fee, standard (per project) FY 2026-27 schedule, revised 6-30-26. Mechanical/Plumbing/Electrical permits section. | $51.00 |
| Simple project inspection (covers up to 3 items marked Simple) FY 2026-27 schedule. Each additional Simple item after 3 is $51.00. Plan Review/Inspection by the hour is $154.00 per hour. | $230.00 |
| Permit issuance (each) FY 2026-27 schedule, Miscellaneous Building Fees. A $3.00 state training surcharge (AB 717) and a $3.00 technology maintenance fee are also listed. | $30.00 |
Taken from the city's fee page. Fees change, and other charges such as plan check can apply. Confirm at the permit counter. Compare permit fees across cities.
Turnaround. The city says all permit types must be submitted through the SimpliCITY online portal (free account, 24/7). The Permits page lists a separate electrical permit type (BOE) for main panel upgrades, sub panels, and any alteration to the electrical system, and for battery-only systems.
EV charger permits. The city publishes an 'Eligibility Checklist for Expedited Electric Vehicle Charging Station Residential Permitting' (the AB 1236 pattern). If every item on the checklist is answered yes the application is expedited. Otherwise it goes through standard review. The checklist asks for a CEC 220 load calculation worksheet, whether the load calc shows a panel upgrade is needed (and if so that the plans include it), a 125% continuous-load sizing check, a single-line diagram and dimensioned site plan, NRTL listing. Trenching cover of 18 inches for direct burial. The checklist is dated against the 2013 California Electrical Code, so the form itself is old.
Inspections. Inspection line 951.413.3380 and [email protected]. The Building and Safety page links a next-available-inspection-date view and a MoVal 24/7 app guide for scheduling.
Rebates listed for Moreno Valley
From SCE and the city
| Program | Amount |
|---|---|
 SCE Charge Ready Home SCE residential customers in single-family homes who are income-qualified or live in a disadvantaged community, with a licensed C-10 contractor | Up to $4,200 toward a 200 amp panel upgrade and dedicated 240V circuit for a Level 2 charger (per SCE page excerpt; other sources list different amounts) |
Amounts as listed by each program, October 2026. Programs have limits and rules.
$2,500 to $4,500
A regional range from the sources on the cost page. Your electrician gives the actual quote after a look.
Get this quote
Start with the bill
The city runs its own electric utility for part of the town. Moreno Valley Utility, set up in 2001, has its lines underground, and the rest of the city is SCE. The MVU page has an address checker and a service area map. Do this before you collect quotes, because a panel upgrade, solar or battery follows different rules on each system.
For MVU addresses, call MVU before scheduling and ask what it needs for a panel upgrade or meter release. For SCE addresses, the usual order is permit, inspection, then release to SCE. See the utility coordination guide.
Rates and rebates split the same way
MVU has an optional residential time-of-use rate, Rate B, and it lists no EV-specific rate. SCE addresses can use TOU-D-PRIME if they have an EV, battery or heat pump. Read time-of-use rates for EV owners. MVU also lists efficiency programs for air conditioner and heat pump replacement, with amounts not shown on the page, and says rebates are limited and may end without notice. SCE addresses should read the SCE Charge Ready Home guide; that rebate is limited to income-qualified or disadvantaged-community SCE households.
Permits through the online portal
All permit types go through the SimpliCITY online portal. The permit chart requires a separate electrical permit for a main panel upgrade, subpanels, any change to the electrical system, and for adding a battery to a solar system. The schedule has no residential EV charger line, so a charger is billed under the simple items.
The city’s expedited residential EV checklist asks for a CEC 220 load calculation, a single-line diagram, a dimensioned site plan and 18 inches of cover for direct burial. Learn how the numbers work in EV charger load calculation. Inspections are requested by phone or email, and the city’s page shows the next available date.
Newer tracts, new loads
Tract housing from the late 1980s sets the tone: the median is 1988, a little over a quarter went up after 2000, and only about 1 in 14 homes predate 1970. That is mostly modern breaker panels, so the work is capacity. Many tract homes are single-story with the panel on the stucco wall, which keeps a main panel swap simple. The usual limit is breaker space for air conditioning, a charger and solar. See smart electrical panels and the 200-amp panel upgrade.
Heat and wind edges
July highs average about 95 F, with a record of 118 F in July 2018. In October 2019, MVU said its underground system let it move customers to another circuit during SCE’s shutoff warnings, while SCE parts of the city had no such option. If you are an SCE customer, watch SCE’s shutoff notices in fall wind season. Homes near the Box Springs Mountain Reserve and the Badlands edge should be checked against the CAL FIRE map. Riverside is the nearest large city page.
The housing, in numbers
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey; QuickFacts for Moreno Valley. Climate zone 10.
What SCE handles on a panel or charger job
SCE sets and reconnects the meter. Its published targets cover only SCE steps, and city review time is extra. How the steps fit together.
MVU was established in 2001. The rest of the city is SCE.
EV rate. It is required for customers who add solar, battery storage, or expand an existing solar system by 10% or more.
Backup power for shutoff days
What the record shows on outages in Moreno Valley
Shutoff record: Named on a possible-shutoff list only
The city's Oct. 10, 2019 release says SCE prepared precautionary shutoffs for various circuits during high winds and low humidity; MVU customers were shielded because MVU's system is underground and could move customers to another circuit. Santa Ana wind and wildland-edge exposure is concentrated along the Box Springs Mountains and Badlands edge in the north and east.
Worth knowing in Moreno Valley
- MVU customers can get $500 toward a charger plus $500 toward an EV and a $50 monthly credit under the 5-5-5 program, subject to remaining funds. The charger rebate excludes plug-in units; SCE customers in the same city cannot use it. Source
- The city's expedited residential EV charger checklist is built around a CEC 220 load calculation and asks directly whether the calculation shows a panel upgrade is needed. A house with a full 100 amp panel can still get expedited review only if the plans include the upgrade. Source
Jobs Moreno Valley homeowners look up
Nearby cities
Questions about electrical work in Moreno Valley
Is my house on Moreno Valley Utility or Edison, and does it change my panel upgrade?
It can. A 2019 city release said Moreno Valley Utility (MVU) served about 6,800 accounts in the southern and eastern parts of the city, and SCE serves the rest. The city offers an address checker and a service area map. Meter work, rebates and rates follow whichever utility bills your address, so check first.
I have MVU. Do I have to switch to the time-of-use rate if I add a battery?
Yes. MVU requires its Time-of-Use Rate B for any customer who adds solar, adds battery storage, or expands existing solar by 10 percent or more. Peak is 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. MVU also charges a non-refundable $75 Rule 21 interconnection review fee. Confirm current terms with MVU.
Does the city's EV charger checklist require a panel upgrade for my 100 amp house?
Not by itself. The checklist asks for a load calculation and whether it shows an upgrade is needed. If it does, the plans must include the upgrade to qualify for expedited review. A house with a full 100 amp panel will likely need one. The checklist form is based on an older code edition, so ask the city whether it has an update.
How is a 200 amp service upgrade permit billed in Moreno Valley?
There is no separate main panel line. The job falls under New Services or Additional Panels, up to 200 amps, which the fee schedule splits into plan check and inspection, with a processing fee and an issuance fee on top. Over 200 amps costs more. The table above has the lines, so ask the counter for a total before you sign.
Can I get a rebate for a Level 2 charger in Moreno Valley?
Only if MVU bills you. The MVU 5-5-5 program lists $500 for a charger, $500 for an EV and a $50 monthly credit, while funds last, so ask MVU whether it is still open. SCE customers in the same city cannot use it. They can check whether they qualify for SCE's Charge Ready Home.
Send a photo, get a range.
Share your ZIP and a photo of your panel. Your request goes to a licensed partner electrician, who contacts you.
Get this quoteAurion Electric is a referral service operated by Roviq LLC. Electrical work is done by a licensed partner electrician.
